L'Or Espresso Colombia Intensity 8 Capsules

The first question with any capsule is whether it fits the machine, and the answer here is Nespresso Original, the classic cone-shaped system, and never Vertuo. The second is the number, and intensity 8 describes flavour and roast on L'Or's own scale, not caffeine.

Check the machine before the coffee

L'Or makes its capsules from aluminium rather than plastic, sized for the Nespresso Original line. Vertuo machines take a different, larger capsule and cannot use these at all. Within the Original line, L'Or also lists exceptions: the U, Umilk, Expert, Expert&Milk, Prodigio and Prodigio&Milk models bought after 25 July 2016, so owners of those should check before buying. If your machine is on the right side of that list, a carton of ten is a sensible way to try the coffee before committing to a large box.

Aluminium matters for more than the recycling bin. A metal capsule keeps each 5.2g dose sealed from the air, so the last espresso in the carton smells as good as the first, something no opened bag of ground coffee can manage. For the used capsules, L'Or takes part in Podback, the UK coffee pod recycling scheme, so they have somewhere to go.

What intensity 8 tells you

L'Or grades its capsules on its own intensity scale, which runs up to 13: the Ristretto sits at 11, the Supremo at 10 and the Lungo Profondo at 8. The number describes how strong and roasty the cup reads, and it cannot be compared with another brand's figures. Nor is it a caffeine measure. If caffeine is what you are managing, the Ristretto Decaf is the capsule to reach for, not a smaller number.

At 8, Colombia has real presence without being a dark-roast statement. Our reading is that it sits at the livelier end of the capsule shelf: a medium body, a bright edge through the middle rather than the flat heaviness many capsules settle for, and bitterness kept low for the format. L'Or files it among its named origins rather than its numbered blends, a sign that character is the point; any growing-country statement is for the current carton to make, not us.

Short black, cortado or macchiato

Use the espresso button, around 40ml. A lungo stretches a capsule thinner, and this coffee's lively middle is clearest in a short cup. Drink it black mid-morning, or in a small milk drink such as a macchiato or a cortado; a big latte will drown it. If you want a longer cup from the range, the Lungo Profondo shares the number and is made for the longer pour.

The published ingredient list is a single line, roast and ground coffee, and it names none of the 14 major allergens; the current pack remains the final word. Ten capsules make ten cups, which keeps this a small commitment; once you know which L'Or coffees you like, the Ristretto, Supremo and Lungo Profondo also come in 40-pod boxes.

The packs we stock

• L'Or Espresso Colombia Intensity 8, Aluminium Coffee, 10 Capsules (barcode 8711000362679)

What the label says

The published ingredient list for L'Or Espresso Colombia Intensity 8, Aluminium Coffee, 10 Capsules (barcode 8711000362679) names none of the 14 major allergens. Check the current box of Colombia capsules: L'Or may update their recipe and allergen advice.

Ingredients, as published: Roast and ground coffee.

Ingredient and nutrition data for this barcode: Open Food Facts (openfoodfacts.org), ODbL. Your box of Colombia capsules is the last word.

What to eat with it

• McVitie's Original Hobnobs Biscuits - The Oaty One, 255g: A plain, oaty biscuit that lets a lively espresso keep the attention.
• Lotus Biscoff Caramelised Biscuits, 250g: A caramelised biscuit on the saucer of a short black, its sweetness rounding off the bright edge.
• Border Butterscotch Crunch Organic Biscuits, 135g: Butterscotch against a low-bitterness shot, for an after-lunch espresso.
• McVitie's Hobnobs The Oaty One Milk Chocolate Twin Pack Biscuits, 2 x 262g: Milk chocolate and oats to go with a cortado, when a splash of milk has softened the cup.

Elsewhere in the L'Or range

• L'Or Artiste Vigoroso Intensity 8 Instant Coffee, 95g
• L'Or Classique Instant Coffee, 150g
• L'Or Espresso Destinations Santorini 10 x Intensity Coffee, 52g
• L'Or Espresso Lungo Profondo Intensity 8 Coffee, 40 Pods 208g
• L'Or Espresso Ristretto Coffee Pods, 10 Pods 52g
• L'Or Espresso Ristretto Decaf, Intensity 9, Aluminium Coffee, 10 Capsules 52g

The full range is on the L'Or brand page.

FAQ

Will L'Or Espresso Colombia work in a Vertuo machine? No. These capsules are for the Nespresso Original line only; Vertuo machines use a different capsule.

Is there a decaf capsule in the same range? Yes, the L'Or Ristretto Decaf. Intensity numbers describe flavour and roast rather than caffeine, so picking a smaller number is no substitute for decaf.

How much coffee is in each capsule? 5.2g, which makes 52g across the carton of ten.

Is it a single-origin Colombian coffee? Colombia is the name L'Or gives this capsule, filed among its origins; for the exact growing-country statement, read the current carton.

Can the capsules be recycled? They are aluminium rather than plastic, and L'Or takes part in Podback, the UK coffee pod recycling scheme.

Curator's note: Pull it short, drink it black mid-morning and give it a plain oat biscuit. It has enough going on without a latte on top. Lee, teas.co.uk, Tunbridge Wells.

In short: L'Or Espresso Colombia Intensity 8 Capsules

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